ENTANGLED - Julie Arduini - One Free Book

Welcome, Julie. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Each book is different, I think. In ENTRUSTED, Jenna is very much my personality and some of my own experiences. However, in my latest release, ENTANGLED, there really wasn’t any of myself in the heroine. I did “embed” myself into the story when the teen character told his mom, Carla, that “Brian’s mom couldn’t wait for Carla to get her cosmetology license so Carla could color the white out of Brian’s mom’s hair.” I am Brian’s mom, and I do color my hair to keep the white away. J

My daughter is a hairdresser, so my hair is my chosen color, too. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

As I talk to friends, I guess I do a lot of things. One that comes to mind is when I was in a Youngstown suburb, there was an odd intersection where at the light where I was at, if you did not pull up to the line, the light never changed to green. Never. I sat through three red lights and there was a trail of cars behind me. It was dusk, and it wasn’t the safest part of town. The car ahead had not pulled up, and it had tinted windows. I said a quick prayer, opened my car door and approached the car. This poor kid was scared of me! He cracked the window and I explained that I didn’t mean to be rude, but that light was never going to change if he didn’t pull up. He didn’t say a word. I got back in my car, he pulled up, light turned green, and I noticed driving by was a police car probably wondering what the traffic was, and what was this lady doing out of her car, anyway?

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I first knew I loved it and that people were paying attention to it in middle school. I wrote for the school paper and a few times I was asked if I truly wrote the piece. Things like that. However, in high school I was told I wasn’t strong enough in grammar and that I should never pursue it as a career. That stopped me for decades. Finally, when I was 35, I realized this was God’s call on my life. I surrendered all my fears and made a vow from that moment on, I would always write for Him.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Contemporary romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, devotionals, Bible studies.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Prayer is everything to me. Not only is it something I’m doing, but I have a team of ladies that pray for me, my writing and speaking ministry, and for my family.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

It varies. Sometimes I happen to be watching TV and hear a name and I’m looking for one, so I use a last name that sounds like that one I just heard. With my current work, I have two characters I named because I felt helpless in a real life situation, so I gave a couple characters first names that reminded me of those people.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

We have two children that take their relationship with Jesus seriously, and individually. They didn’t just follow our lead, they found Him on their terms.

That is awesome. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I guess a dog. They are an instant friend.

What is your favorite food?

Anything chocolate, of course!

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I think the mind games that after the fact I realized was the true defeated one trying to deflect his defeat and make me feel like a failure, instead. Especially with book two, I felt haunted by thoughts that it would never be received as well as ENTRUSTED. That I have no business writing. Negative thoughts came at me from all sides, every day. It emotionally paralyzed me. I couldn’t write for the longest time. Prayer again was the answer. I had so many people praying for me. I stayed in the Word and I joined an online Bible study so I had interaction with others, and they also prayed. Now that I am receiving feedback from readers, it all makes sense. Readers are finding freedom through surrendering their regrets. They are going to God and asking for help. It’s amazing what God is doing to help and love on these precious readers.

I believe those negative thoughts are the “fiery darts” from the enemy of our souls. We need to remember that he can’t read our minds, so the only way he can tell if they are effective is when we stop doing things for the Lord. One time, he was coming against me and my writing so hard that I spoke out loud to him that I was going to let each of those negative thoughts he was sending me become a trigger for me to start worshipping God out loud. As I did this consistently, the fiery darts came more infrequently. Now Julie, tell us about the featured book.

ENTANGLED is the second book in the Surrendering Time Series. The Surrendering Time series is an entertaining yet reflective adventure to the Adirondack Mountains. Each book takes an element of time (past, present, future) and explores through flawed and humorous characters what a surrender journey looks like.

In ENTANGLED, Carla Rowling has been given her dream of attending cosmetology school. The gift is so generous she feels unworthy because of choices she made as a teen. The pressure mounts as Carla juggles school, is a single mom, helps her best friend Jenna plan her wedding, spends time with boyfriend Will Marshall, and deals with the fact that her son's father is back in their lives.

Will Marshall is the one Speculator Falls resident everyone can count on. His truck deliveries are reliable. He's the first to help friends like Ben Regan with boat work or be a card partner with Bart Davis. Will's ready to settle down with Carla, loving her is natural. He's bonded with her son, Noah. But when Carla starts cosmetology school, she puts emotional distance between herself and Will.

Can Carla release her past and create a future full of highlights, or, will she burn her options worse than a bad perm? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

A twenty-minute run. That’s all I need. Just enough time to feel free.

Instead, the Hamilton County DA places a neon green gift bag in my hand. He then looks to the crowd. “In forty-eight hours and our very own Carla Rowling will go from handcuffs to haircuts.”

The Piseco Inn meeting room is wall-to-wall people. My fellow law enforcement, paramedic, and fire and rescue colleagues hand me gifts and joke at the idea of me leaving for beauty school.

I paste on a smile as I lift a pair of black running shoes with hot pink trim from layers of tissue paper, but my focus is on my breathing. Steady and even. Like when I’m running.

“From squad car to standing all day. What a switch.” Fred Beebe, retired bank president, grins.

I stand and balance my arm on Joanie, the county dispatcher, as I slip off the three-inch heels I borrowed from my best friend Jenna and try on the comfy shoes.

“Hey, Carla! Will you wear those as you run with scissors to chase perps out of your hair salon?” Jack Hunt, my replacement, snorts from laughing too hard.

“Do they fit?” Joanie looks to the empty box on the floor where wrapping paper and ribbon litter the area.

I nod, let go, and sit. “They’re so comfortable I’m going to wear them for the rest of my party.” And as soon as I can, break these sneakers in. There's nothing like the feel of new running shoes, and no better time to use them than when the walls feel like they’re closing in.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://juliearduini.com, and on any social media, including Snapchat, you can find me @JulieArduini. The same for my Amazon and Goodreads author pages.

Thank you, Lena!

It's my pleasure to share you with my readers. 

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Entangled: Surrendering the Past (Surrendering Time) (Volume 2) - Paperback
Entangled: Surrendering the Past (Surrendering Time Book 2) - Kindle

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